Steve McIntosh Report Blog

Wichita's gang problem

by Steve McIntosh,posted Aug 7 2013 1:29AM

The Wichita Police Department’s Top 10 list of known gang members with outstanding felony warrants paid off in a hurry, with 10,000 social media “hits” the first week … and the location of two suspects whose mugs were plastered on every media that would hold still.
I talked with Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett and Police Lt. Scott Heimerman, who said there are about a thousand known gang members in Wichita, and about 4,000 with connections to gangs. They told me these gangs should not be compared to the well-organized crime machines we often see on T-V or in films. Bennett and Heimerman say Wichita gangs are often neighborhood-based and not very sophisticated at all. They’re hoping this new mass media approach will help locate the worst of the gang bangers and bring them to justice.
One really disturbing fact Lt. Heimerman shared with me: a 14-year-old Wichita gang member has been shot … twice!
ope
-0-